2012's Carlisle Ford Nationals presented by Gumout Performance Products, June 1-3 at the Carlisle PA Fairgrounds was one for the record books.

2012 Carlisle Ford Nationals

PRLog - Jun. 5, 2012 - CARLISLE, Pa. -- 2012's Carlisle Ford Nationals presented by Gumout Performance Products, June 1-3 at the Carlisle PA Fairgrounds was one for the record books. From the nearly 3,000 cars onsite to the more than 45,000 people on grounds, every aspect of the weekend left Ford enthusiasts from the world over wanting more. From the vendors, displays, swap meet, car corral and even the food court, Carlisle was a hot bed of automotive excitement, not seen at that level in sometime.

Though the weekend officially started Friday, people and displays were on grounds as early as Tuesday of show week. Team Shelby, Ford Racing and Petty's Garage trailers just to name a few, lined the grounds while guests like Steve Davis from the famed Barrett Jackson auctions served as the keynote speaker for a very special Shelby Tribute on Friday night. In between set up and the Friday evening festivities, daytime fun was had by thousands. The highlight of the morning was a grand entrance by Team Shelby, where approximately 200 cars from various eras cruised-in, making their presence known quickly as the dominant group on grounds for the one-of-a-kind Ford weekend.

Seminars, free test drives (and ice cream), Ford walk-around sessions and the Shelby attractions in and around Building Y were also very popular on Friday with burnouts, beauty and the second annual downtown Carlisle Ford Parade and Street Party showcasing the Saturday action. The parade sold out weeks in advance and highlighted more than 400 cars, including rare and one-of-a-kind vehicles from Ford.

As rare cars go, two stood out this past weekend. First, a 1,000 horse power Mustang was on grounds and was actually in the parade, while the late Carroll Shelby's very own "company car," the first and only 1967 GT convertible ever built, highlighted an amazing tribute and display hosted by Team Shelby that featured more than 400 of Shelby's best.

Family activities were also popular event-wide with Kids at Carlisle and the Women's Oasis. Both options, located within Building R, provided a great "home away from chrome" alternative to the muscle and madness enjoyed on the showfield. Crafts, vendors, games and event-specific special activities made Building R a must-do option for adults and kids alike.

All good things must end, however, but Sunday's awards parade offered a fitting wrap to the weekend with several hundred plaques and honors being handed out. Finally, the 2013 Mustang Coupe lease, X427 racing engine and iPad winners were announced. William Targosh of Dayton, Nevada won the engine, Dan Fedan of Selden, New York took home the two-year lease on a 2013 Mustang and Bill Grosskoph picked up the iPad.

It will be hard to top this year’s event, but 2013 is already in the planning stages. The event will take place June 7-9, 2013. Until then, thank you!